STANDING MEDITATION

LITTLE SWIMMING DRAGON ?

I’m back from 10 days in the woods of Vermont, one of my favorite places in the world. It’s so wonderfully quiet there, except for the humming birds, chickadees, and owls at night. What a pleasure!

If you’re wondering if I do Qigong when I’m away, yes, I do. For instance, a hike along a brook with a series of cascading waterfalls and pools felt like the perfect spot for a Swimming Dragon.  However, my favorite Qigong experience last week was doing a standing meditation one morning in the forest near the cabin. I haven’t spent a lot of time teaching standing meditations in our class, but they are a wonderful and powerful way to reach a deep state of energy and flow. Try it yourself the next time you’re in a quiet, peaceful place. Stand in a low Embracing the Tree position, with your arms rounded in front of you. Then, just relax. Notice your breathing and allow it to slow and deepen. As you stand for a few minutes or more (don’t rush it or you’ll miss the good parts) you’ll discover places where tension has unconsciously accumulated. Then, just let it go. Your body will naturally align with the Yin energy of gravity.  It’s kind of fun to feel the way those spots of tension creep back in, and move from one place to another, but never in a way that you can’t gently ask them to soften and release. Give it a try. Let me know how it goes.